Saltovo-mayaki provincial byzantine culture of the crimea

Introduction. The material culture of Byzantium throughout the entire period of existence of the empire consisted of a number of the provincial Byzantine cultures. This is also true for material cultures of border territories of Byzantium which could not be a part of the state, but were exposed to the Byzantine cultural and economic influence. Taurika acted as such territories in the 8th - 9th centuries. During this period the Crimean option of Saltovo-Mayaki archaeological culture was widespread in its east, central and northwest part. The question of legitimacy of reference of this culture to the provincial Byzantine is the research task. Methods. On the basis of a comparative method, the attempt to consider those aspects of Saltovo-Mayaki culture of the Crimea which allow carrying it to the provincial Byzantine is made. The archaeological material which is saved up so far acts as sources of research which allow considering a debatable problem of essence of SaltovoMayaki culture of the peninsula in the modern historiography. Analysis. Almost all parties of the considered culture allow comparing it with the provincial Byzantine cultures of the Alano-Gothic population of Taurika. Results. As a result of the conducted research, the Saltovo-Mayaki culture of Taurika can be considered as one of options of the provincial Byzantine culture. It was left not by the Greek population which constantly had the Byzantine influence in the field of ideology and life. The provincial Byzantine nature of this material culture is not an argument for judgments of political dependence of territories where it was widespread.